Twelve Months
by Jim Butcher
It’s been six years since readers witnessed the earth-shaking, status quo-shattering events of Battle Ground. This year, Jim Butcher finally returns to the world of The Dresden Files with his 18th installment, Twelve Months. If you’re unfamiliar with the exploits of Chicago wizard detective Harry Dresden, you definitely don’t want to start here (start with Storm Front; you’re welcome). By now, Butcher has a ready command of the intricate world that he’s built, mashing up modern fantasy as Harry interacts with any manner of criminals, vampires, and Fae. But Dresden also fits squarely in the noir tradition of Chandler and Hammett; ultimately, he’s a good man who has to make hard decisions, even if they come at great personal cost.
Divided We Stand
by Bill Newcott
What if you were to make a grand circuit of the U.S. to determine where Americans with differing perspectives still share core values? That is the question Bill Newcott sets out to answer in Divided We Stand: A Road Trip in Search of the Ties That Bind Ordinary Americans No Matter What. The veteran journalist and Post film critic takes readers on a cross-country trek, and at each stop, he dives into polarizing issues dividing Americans today, including abortion, immigration, guns, and policing. What he learns is that when everyday people come face-to-face with their political opposites, their first instinct is to connect, not criticize. Infused with offbeat humor, Divided We Stand offers a healing perspective, reminding us to focus on what we have in common, not our differences — and shows how easy common ground is to find.
The Correspondent
by Virginia Evans
In this epistolary novel, septuagenarian Sybil Van Antwerp spends most mornings at her desk writing letters. Through her correspondence, the reader pieces together parts of her life — her former career in law, being adopted, a fractured relationship with her daughter amidst growing vision problems. When a letter arrives from someone in her past, Sybil is forced to remember the most painful time of her life, and the secret that is preventing her from moving forward. Humorous elements weave throughout as Sybil courts two suitors, battles with a university professor, writes fan mail to literary giants, and befriends a beleaguered customer service rep. This story shows it’s never too late to heal old wounds and change the direction of your life.
This article is featured in the July/August 2026 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
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